The New York Giants allowed arguably the best safety in football to walk via free agency this offseason, as Landon Collins signed a six-year deal with the Washington Redskins last week.
As a result, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has fallen under harsh criticism, as New York did not even place a franchise tag on Collins.
This has led some to question why the Giants didn't just trade Collins this past season, but Gettleman said that none of the offers New York received made sense:
“The rumor that we were offered a first-round draft pick isn't even remotely accurate,” said Gettleman, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “… Did we have teams call? Yes. But at that point in time I didn't think (the offers we got were) what he was worth.”
The Giants' refusal to tag Collins is certainly odd. Even if Collins planned on holding out if the Giants did so, New York could have at least negotiated a long-term deal with the 25-year-old before the deadline, which would have kept everyone happy.
Collins is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he registered 96 tackles, a forced fumble and four passes defended en route to his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The New Orleans native, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by the Giants in the second round (33rd pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He had a solid rookie year, finishing with 108 tackles, a pick, a forced fumble and nine passes defended, and the following season, he broke out, racking up 125 tackles, four sacks, five interceptions, a fumble recovery, 13 passes defended and a defensive touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Collins then made another Pro Bowl in 2017 after totaling 99 stops, two picks, a forced fumble and a pair of fumble recoveries.
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